Prices at 18 hospitals in Chicago, IL, from their machine-readable files. Here the median cash price is $1,516 — 21% below the US median ($1,913), roughly 8.0× the Medicare rate.
Lowest cash prices
CMS rating = overall hospital star rating (1–5); ER wait = median minutes in the emergency department; Readmit = 30-day readmission rate (lower is better) — all from Medicare’s Care Compare; “—” = not reported. Data last updated October 2026. Prices from hospitals’ machine-readable files (45 CFR §180); Medicare benchmark from CMS PFS/CLFS/IPPS. Prices below 15% of the median are excluded as likely partial or mis-coded charges. Estimates — confirm with the hospital. Report an incorrect price.
Price comparison (median)
Typical cash price here is $1,516 — about 8.0× the Medicare rate ($190). High vs Medicare. A fair cash price is usually within ~2× Medicare ($381).
💡 Asking for the cash price instead of the $3,603 list price could save about $2,087 (58%).
Rough estimate from this procedure’s median insurer-negotiated rate. Your actual cost depends on your plan — confirm with your insurer.
Doctors who perform this in Chicago
Clinicians who reported the most Medicare volume for this service locally. This reflects Original Medicare activity only and is a volume signal, not a quality ranking.
| Clinician | Specialty | Location | Medicare services |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michelle Naidich, MD | Diagnostic Radiology | Chicago, IL | 32 |
| Kunal Patel, M.D. | Diagnostic Radiology | Chicago, IL | 26 |
| Edward Michals | Diagnostic Radiology | Chicago, IL | 25 |
All MRI of the mid-back (thoracic spine) without contrast prices in Illinois → · All MRI of the mid-back (thoracic spine) without contrast prices (national) · All hospitals in Chicago